Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

A word for the wary: this post is almost nothing to do with my training and/or fitness.  It's mostly going to be me griping and meandering through thoughts.  Consider thyself warned.

So it's Friday night, and I'm sitting at home watching So You Think You Can Dance (USA version).  I love to watch dancing- something about it makes me happy.  Meanwhile, in Brisbane, a mate of mine is gearing up for a boxing match he's been training for over the last six to nine months.  These factors, plus the influence of a constant niggling in the back of my mind, started me thinking: I need something.

Let me elaborate.  For the last ten months, I've been exercising and training mostly to lose excess weight, regain some fitness, and gain a body I can feel happy about.  I've gone a long way towards the fulfilment of that goal.  I've still got some distance to go, so don't think of this as the end of that.  What I'm thinking of is something beyond that.  Something where I can put all that I've worked towards to some use.  Like my Brisbane mate - he's been training, exercising and working for this upcoming bout.  For him, tonight's fight will be the culmination of all he's worked towards for months.  Win, lose or draw, he'll have achieved something other than getting fitter/faster/stronger.  For that, I envy him.

Don't misunderstand me - I am immensely happy with what I've managed to do over the last year.  I can now do things I haven't been able to do for many years, if ever.  I can now do push-ups - something I've never been able to do.  I can fit into "normal" range clothing (no more Mr Big range).  I'm getting muscle definition on my arms and chest.  These are not trivial achievements, and I don't mean to portray them as such.

However, I think I need to do something more.  Something equivalent to a boxing match to work towards or accomplish, but (maybe) without the pugilism.  Basically, I'm looking for something to do on the days when I don't go to the gym.  But what can I do?  This is where I get really stuck.

For those that know me well, and most of the people who read this blog fall into that category, you know the kind of person I am, and how I approach things like this.  Past experience has shown that i have something akin to a six-month attention span when it comes to hobbies or extra-curricular activities.  I come at them full of enthusiasm, then six months later I lose interest and give it up.  I don't know why.  Maybe it'd because, when things are routine, they become obligations and they stop being fun.  Maybe it's something else I haven't yet identified.  Who knows.  Frankly, I'm still quite astonished that I have managed to maintain my gym routine this long - I didn't actually expect it to last.

That last point makes me think maybe I'm at a point in my life where I can handle that kind of routine.  I just need to find something that can occupy the available time-slots.  And this is where I come unstuck.  I can't think of something I want to do that I am capable of.  For instance, recently a Jujitsu class started in my neighbourhood.  I thought that might be worth investigating.  Then I remembered my knee injury, and the primary reason I gave up on martial arts years ago.  I watch a dance show, and (apart from the knee problem), I decide that I don't have required grace/flexibility/co-ordination for dance.  And this happens for pretty much everything I think about - I can find a reason or excuse (I'll let you decide the difference) not to take it up.  I'm becoming spectacularly good at finding excuses for not doing things.  If only making excuses was a hobby in itself; I'd be a shoe-in.

My intent in writing this wasn't to come over all "Woe is me!" and whatnot.  My objective was twofold.  One, I'm trying to purge this mentality of finding excuses for everything and actually start seriously looking for something to fill my time.  I guess I'm trying the Voldemort theory - by giving voice to my issues I hope to strip them of some of their potency.

My second objective was to canvas my readers for ideas.  So here's where you come in: I need ideas.  For those of you who know me well, what kind of things can you suggest that fit in with my personality, abilities and skills.  For those that don't, feel free to offer suggestions anyway.  As long as it's a genuine suggestion, I will take it seriously and see if it is something I can sink my teeth and/or time into.  Some guideline:
 - It has to be social (a secondary part of my objective is to meet new people, possibly a future partner if the situation arises).
 - It has to be active.  That doesn't mean it has to be cross-country caber tossing or anything ridiculous like that.  I would just prefer that it weren't a purely sedentary activity so that I can take advantage of my new fitness levels, and possibly continue to improve them.
 - Cost is a minor factor, but transportation is a significant one.
 - It should be something that takes up a few hours each week, but not necessarily an entire night/day/weekend.  A Wednesday evening or Sunday morning (maybe both on occasion) is perfect.
 - It needs to be relatively friendly on knees.  Again, that doesn't mean a sedentary activity, just needs to be something that poses minor risk of injury.
  - It would ideally have an achievement component.  For example: if I chose boxing as per my Bris-mate, there would be an end-of-year bout to work towards.

Hopefully there's enough there for you to work on.  Don't be surprised if I don't take up a suggestion; rest assured I will consider all of them seriously.

The floor is open...